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Monday, April 15, 2013

We Got Married!

Hello
friends! There’s something big that I want to share with all of you…

DFJ
and I tied the knot on a sunny Saturday afternoon two weeks ago. I feel so
blessed to have this wonderful man by my side for the rest of my life… This is
only the beginning of our adventures together and I am looking forward to so
many more!

My
heart is full of love, gratitude, and happiness! So much goodness surrounds me
everywhere I am and I really could not ask for more. We got married on April 6th,
2013 on the dock of my good friends’, Bette and Bill’s, lake house in Chelan,
Washington. That day was a testament to how lucky I am to be loved and
supported by such wonderful people.

Our
wedding was a very simple and old-school celebration where every guest pitched
in and had a big role to play. I have heard horror stories on how stressful
wedding preparations can be and I honestly can say that my wedding day was one
of the least stressful days of my life. I woke up happy and excited for what
was about to take place with great faith that everything will turn out well.

There
were some preparations that needed to be done and every one of us was eager to
get started. I woke up early and prepared some hors d’oeuvres for the
post-ceremony celebration: a smoked salmon, goat cheese, and caper paste and chocolate-dipped
strawberries that my friend, Roslyn, helped me with. DFJ washed the grapes and I
separated them into small bunches. After a lengthy breakfast with everyone and
all the food preparation, I just shoved everything in the fridge and got busy
preparing myself for the ceremony. DFJ and I went our separate ways to finalize
our vows and Joe got busy preparing the order of events for the ceremony and
his speech.

﻿DFJ’s
mom did all the wedding flowers, made the most gorgeous bridal bouquet for me,
made a sweet little bouquet for our adorable flower girl, and made the
boutonnieres for DFJ and our officiator. We bought flowers from Safeway (they
were perfectly lovely) which was what she used for the bouquets and
boutonnieres. The leftover flowers plus Bette’s collection of twigs and
branches that she picked up from road sides and daffodils from my dear friend,
Sally’s, garden all came together so beautifully in various vases. DFJ’s dad
generously paid for the delicious wedding dinner and wine at Sorrento’s
Ristorante. Oh my, what a treat! My friends, Bette and
Bill were our gracious hosts, who made us feel at home in their lake house and
provided us with rooms, a hot tub, food, wine, champagne, and the wedding
dock. On top of this all, they were busy picking up after our messes and serving
lunches for everyone. Our friends, Joe and Roslyn, had the brilliant idea of
signing Joe up online to be a minister. So, Joe was our wedding officiator and
we couldn’t have asked for anyone better! DFJ’s Aunt Laur and Uncle Bill were
our photographers (his aunt is a professional and I can’t wait to see our
wedding photos) and their sweet little girl, Anika, was our flower girl. Laur
also did my hair and while she was doing that, Bill took charge of her camera
to take the photos while she was busy. Roslyn was very sweet to iron all the
creases away from my dress and Joe took pictures of what was going on with my
camera.

While
I was busy getting ready, DFJ was off somewhere polishing his shoes and getting
ready himself. Being that I was in my own little world, I was pleasantly
surprised to see the table beautifully laden with hors d’oeuvres: my smoked
salmon paste on top of rosemary flatbread crackers, the grapes artfully placed
around hunks of good cheese and crackers, the chocolate dipped strawberries that
held up perfectly after being refrigerated for a few hours, bowls of
pistachios, and fancy champagne flutes ready for some sparkling bubbly. Bette
and DFJ’s mom have both been hard at work! The table, the rest of the house,
and the wedding dock were graced with the loveliest flower arrangements,
courtesy of DFJ’s mom and Bette’s roadside collection.

Soon
after, everyone was dressed up and everything was all set. There was nothing
else left to do but get the party started! My groom looked so dashing in his
suit and tie… I could not take my eyes off of him and kept thanking my lucky
stars!

We
had a short and sweet civil wedding ceremony held on a dock at Lake Chelan… DFJ
and I followed our flower girl down the stairs to the song “Ho Hey” by The
Lumineers. The music skipped some, but it was a perfect stop and go for photo
shoots. Joe welcomed everyone and gave a good speech about marriage, Bette read
1st Corinthians 13:4-13, and Roslyn read my favorite Hafiz poem “I Want
Both of Us”. DFJ said his vows first and his sweet words touched me deeply and
made me laugh at the same time. We kept our vows secret from each other but
somehow, it seemed like we had planned to insert the same key words in every
sentence. When it was my turn to say my vows, I felt my voice starting to crack
and it was all I could do to will myself not to cry. After the vows, we said our
“I dos”, kissed, and became officially married. Bird seeds flew everywhere and
got in my hair and the top of my dress, “Lover of the Light” by Mumford and
Sons played and skipped, champagne was popped, photos were snapped, and
everyone was merry!

DFJ and I were grinning ear to ear and we both decided that we couldn’t have asked for a better wedding ceremony than the one that just took place. Everything about it was who we both are and what we both believe in… each other, family, friends, nature, and all the love that surrounds us.

We went inside to enjoy our pre-dinner party and then drove to Sorrento’s Ristorante at Tsillan Cellars Winery. Laur and her family were already there and she took more photos of us around the beautiful winery grounds. When we all sat down to dinner, there were lots of dinner toasts and DFJ and I couldn’t thank everyone enough for their presence, love, and support. The wine was good, the food was delicious, and great conversations were shared.

I
got nervous when it was time to cut the cake because I wasn’t sure how it
turned out… my worries were unnecessary because everyone loved it! Just in case
you wanted to know, I baked our wedding cake on Friday, the day before the
wedding… Beatty’s Chocolate Cake Recipe by Ina Garten with a Swiss Meringue
Buttercream Frosting from The Pantry at Delancey flavored with a good dose of
Elise Bauer’s Caramel Sauce recipe. It was simply divine!

All
throughout dinner, there was a man playing beautiful piano music and DFJ
asked me to dance. So we danced to a few songs and our wedding party joined in.
I felt so beautiful, special, and so very loved as DFJ held me in his arms and I
love him so much for making me feel that way.

As
much as I wanted the moment and that day to last, it had to come to an end… so
we all said our goodbyes and headed off to our respective accommodations. When
DFJ and I got back to the lake house, we just had enough energy to say
goodnight to Bette and Bill and hang out with Joe and Roslyn for a few minutes
before we went to our room. We snuggled in, talked about how wonderful
everything was and how perfectly the day went, and smiled at each other with
the full knowledge that life will take a new turn from here on out… and
everything will just keep getting better when we are together.

Congratulations 100x over!! I am so happy and excited for you! This sounds like the perfect day. I love that you made your own cake, I can't believe that thought has never occurred to me. I wish you both joy and happiness for your years to come :)

It must’ve been the happiest day of your life. Your wedding was simple, yet I can feel how special this event was to the both of you. Your attire matched with your lakehouse wedding theme. You looked so pretty in your dress and DFJ looked gorgeous in his suit and tie. This was a very nice wedding! I hope you’re enjoying the married life. :) Bhavik Popat @ Suit Yourself - Exclusive Menswear

About Me

Hello, my name is Margarita. I try to live a healthy lifestyle by eating well and working out. I am a cooking enthusiast and I like sharing my love for good food. Most of my recipes contain lots of vegetables and perhaps a bit of meat here and there. Staying active is one of the things that keep me sane. I love doing yoga, walking, hiking, biking, lifting weights, and occasional running. Join me in my food, travel, and life adventures and together let's eat well, cook right, live strong, and be healthy!